The governor of Hawaii is urging people to avoid travel to the islands. Officials on Hawaii's largest island have also suspended large gatherings because the Covid-19 daily case counts for August continue to exceed any other point in the pandemic.
Gov. David Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that it was not the best time to visit Hawaii due to recent increases in patients and jammed hospitals.
He said, "I ask all residents and visitors to limit travel, curtail Hawaii travel to essential activities only",
The governor stated that a state shutdown that severely restricts travel to the islands would only be considered a last resort. However, local officials are moving forward with tighter restrictions.
Rick Blangiardi is the Honolulu County Mayor. His jurisdiction covers Oahu's entire island. He announced Monday that large-scale organized gatherings would be suspended for four consecutive weeks beginning on August 25. Although the suspension will end on Sept. 22, the mayor stated that the lifting of the ban on gatherings would depend on current conditions and Covid-19 cases rates.
"First and foremost after extensive discussions with Department of Health, healthcare providers, and we believe large gatherings to be the fundamental cause of communal spreading, we will suspend large gatherings for 28 day," Blangiardi stated in a statement.
Large gatherings are those that involve trade shows, conferences, meetings, concerts and other live performances, ticketed sporting events and tournaments, as well as gatherings related to weddings or funerals.
Sunday saw the state set a new record for Covid-19 case numbers in one day with 893. Hawaii had 671 new cases per week as of Aug. 21, a 29% increase on the 7-day average.
Community spread is a major factor in the recent spread of Covid-19. According to data from the Hawaii Department of Health, travel-related Covid-19 cases accounted for approximately 14% of all cases in July, while 1% were linked to non-resident travelers.
Blangiardi stated that the area's increased number of cases over the past few weeks has put a strain on local hospitals and healthcare workers. According to a County of Honolulu statement, the Queen's Medical Center West Oahu declared the weekend a disaster due to reaching capacity. Health experts think that others could follow their lead.
It is still permissible to meet in groups of 10 or more indoors, and up to 25 outside. This order does not apply to organized recreational activities, farmer's markets, craft fairs, or religious services. However, indoor services will need to keep groups apart up to ten.
The Department of Health reported that more than 90% of the recent cases were linked to the Delta variant. Officials are looking into new restrictions in case the numbers don't stabilize or fall in the next few weeks.
Hawaii's Safe Travels program is used to screen travelers entering the state. Since July 8, visitors from the U.S. mainland are exempted from Covid-19 testing or quarantine requirements, provided they can show proof of their full vaccination.
Last week, Mitch Roth (mayor of the Island of Hawaii), requested that all travelers to Hawaii be retested prior to arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.
Roth wrote that "the steady rise in Covid-19 cases throughout Hawaii and the country has reached records and has put an unbearable strain upon our health systems and communities at large." "On Hawaii Island alone our hospitals are full and are unable in-take more critical care patients."
